Conveyer



Sept 1, 192s. Y C. B. LATENDORF CONVEYBR Filed Oct. 13. 1924 mmm ar/es B Laie/70'07" Patented Sept. 1, 1.925.

1,552,319! PATENT foFFlc,`

CHARLES B. LATENDRF, OF CRANFORD, NEW JERSEY.v

CONVEYER.

Application filedl october 13, 11924. kserial No, 743,349.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I,4 CHARLES B. LATEN- Donr, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Cranford, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveyers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to conveyers, and especially to belt conveyers of a type adapted for conveying moist or heated articles, such as bread and the: like, and its main object is the provision in a conveyer of this type of improved carrier members or units adapted to hold and move such articles under more ysanitary conditions than. has beenr possible with the conveyers heretofore used. A purpose of the invention is to provide means for conveying bread and other bakery products from the oven without causing injury to such articles l or discoloration thereof, without danger of contamination through contact with unsanitary apparatus, and without causing rusting or fouling of the parts on which such articles are carried.

To prevent such unsightly and unsanitary conditions arising in a carrier, with its consequent menace to health whenv food products are to be conveyed, I have devised means adapted to overcome the above-mentioned defects, the means employed serving to add to the length of 'life ofthe apparatus, preventing discoloration of the articles-conveyed, and removingthevmenace to health. heretofore present because of unsanitary conditions attending the fouling and deterioration of those portions ofthe appa-V ratus with which the articles conveyed must necessarily contact.

An object of the invention is to provide, in a conveyer of the class described, carrier members having article-carrying surfacesy made up of a multiplicity of similar units,l each of which units is readily insertiblein position in the carrier member and adapted' for` quick .removal therefrom in order to permit cleaning or replacement thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide removable frame members adapted to carry and positively position the vremovable units forming the article-carrying surfaces of the carrier members.

The foregoing and other features ofthe invention not hereinbefore referred to will `be hereinafter described and claimed and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which: Y

igure l isa plan view of a portion of an article conveyer embodying my invention;

2 is an end elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a transverse section-ofa carrier member for the conveyer.; Fig. 4 is a plan view of a illermember designed to `carry and position surfaceforming units, and f.

Fig. 5 is a transversesection of the surface-forming unit illustrated in Figs. l and 3. y l

Referring to the drawings, 2--2 designate portions of a track of an endless conveyer vadapted to bev actuated by suitable driving "means (not shown).` 'Said tracks 2-2 are adapted toj'have asssociated there-VV with a plurality of carriers, one of which is shown herein and designatedgenerally by 4. Said carriers 4 are adapted to be moved alongthe tracks 2-2, chainsl 5 5, one at each end of the carrier 4, and connected with the source of power serving to effect this movement. Said carriers 4 arepreferably formed of channel-iron and are here shown as of rectangular form, thezend portions thereof being designated by'6+6 and the side'portionsby 7 and 8, suitable angleirons 9 being employed'to fasten saidv end and sidey portions together.` To secure greater rigidity of the carrier 4tie-rods 10, spaced at suitable intervals, may be employed. The carrier 4 shown and the other carriers of the series are adapted to move 'freely along the tracks 2--2, rollers 11 `on vsaid carriers permitting this freedom of movement, and saifd carrier 4 is also vpivoted at 12-12 to the chains 5-5, thus permitting the edge 8 of the carrier toY be lifted and lowered at desired points to effect gravitational transfer ofarticles fromA one carrier member l4to another inthe series. e

Conveyers adapted for carrying articles of the] class herein: mentioned lheretofore have been constructed entirely of metal, and all parts thereof have' been permanently fixed in position. `'Ihis has resultedin unsanitaryl conditions arising, particularly. when the conveyer has been employed for moving moist4 or heated articles such as bread and other bakery products. The heat and consequent moisture arising lfrom such articles has resulted, in the apparatus formerly us,ed,in forming rustupon .the car- I anc i-ying surfaces of the carriers and there has been no means devised heretofore to prevent this formation or to permit ready removal of the elements forming the carrying surtace to perinitcleani-ng ot these parts ot the conveyer most vitally affected. To provide a construction that Will completely overcome this tendency to rusting and deteriorationand which Willl be more sanitary and at the saine time be made up of parts quickly and/easily removable andl as readily replaceable is the main object of the present invention. Realizing the disadvantages arisfrom the employment of yoXidizable metal in positions Where bread, etc., would 'be brotrghtV into contact therewith, applicant was impelled to devise nieans'for overcoming this objection to the conveyers now in useV for this purpose.- The desired purpose hasbeen accomplished by constructing the carrier members otchaniiel-iron 7 8 ot suchfcross-section that they Yform on the interior a` ivedging groove 13 into Which of Wood, this membery 14C having slots 15 `ltornied thereinWhichpreterably are evenly similarly spacedY and Which extend throughout the" length of the carrier, and

v'are adapted to receive the surface-forming units ofthe apparatus.

The article-carrying'surface for the carriers of conveyei's ot'` the type described herein has heretofore lbeen formed ordinarily by the use off-a wire or Wires carriedy back and forth from one side of the carlfrier to the'otherto producev a grid-like carrying surface,

Siiehfivires are subject to or-'idatioiiV and are not rr movable readily "when it is desired to clean the-various parts of the. apparatus. Because otmthis, iinsanitary condition of the conveyer Was diliicult to remedy. I Y

In 'the present invention `the article-carrying'suriiace vigor a carrierlis formed by for vthe articles to bel conveyed.

theV employment of flexible slats, 16, prei:\r erably oi" Wood and rolY such length and cross v l .piisiiiga fra-ine Vportionopposite sides of section Athat they mayr be sprung into position in the slots 15 and be positively held therein'to Vform a continuous carrier surface continued operation ot the conveyer these slats. 16-have a tendency to become foul they may be sprung ont of position` inthe slots 15'- and'thencleaned and returned. As

y the Wedging members '14;` also arepre'lierably of Wood andl removable from the channelironsY 778,' it Will be apparent that a construction` is presentedthatimay be kept at VVall times in a sanitary. condition.

The end. portions 17 of. the slats 16 are so shaped as to bring .the level .ot each slat flush With the surfaceo the channel-.irons 7-.8 When theelementsofthe carrier sur- It, after Y the upper and loiver faces of the channelirons are alike in form. and the slats 1G symmetrical and' reversible, it will he clear that both the uriner and the lovver faces of each carrier unit is similar to the upper or the lower face of any other carrier unit, thiis permitting both nnner and lower laces to serve as carrying surfaces in turn. Each of the slats 1G, it Will be seen, is a somewhat thin, flat strip capable ot being bent sui'iiciently by hand'to permit insertion or removal thereof from the` gripping slots 15 oithe iller member 14.; The upper and lower edges 1810iv the-slats 16 may be convened to further assist in maintaining the sanitary condition ot'the carriers.

lreterably both the filler member 111- and the slats 16 will be of Wood, this mat meeting all` the requirements in anveiitreinely effective Way, but any other materials may be used that are suitable for theV purpose.

TWhat l claim is :y Y. 1. A. conveyer ofthe class. described, em-

bodying a plurality oli carriers and driving means therefor, each otlsaid carriers being torined .with a rim portion having interior channels, filler membersl adapted to be wedged in said channels and each having a succession otslots formed. Y therein, and flexible slats adapted to be. sprung into and out ofv said slots. andV also adapted to be l ti'ietionally held therein.

f2. A conveyer offtheclass described, ein-V bodying a plurality o carrier-sand driving means therefor, `each of said carriers coinprising ai rim portion having interior' channels, filler-members adapted to be `wedged in said chan-nels andeach having a succession of slots formed therein, and a flexible Wooden lsla-t adapted to be bent and sprung intoeach ofsaid slots to form a carrier 'surface andalso adapted to be lirictionally ivhicharev formed with `interior channels, filler membersV adaptedto .be Vwedged in said channels, opposite filler members-being 'formed Withv complementary slots, and a flexible slat` adaptedl to. be sprung into cach pair of complementary slots and wedged therein to form a carrier surface.

l-.fIn a yconveyer of lthe class described, a plurality ot carriers and driving means therefor, each of said. carriers comprising a rectangular `frame portion opposite sides ot which. are formed With. interior channels, Wooden` ll'er members adapted to be wedged in said channels, opposite filler members being providedwith equally spaced complementary slots, anda Wooden slat adapted to be sprung into each 'of said4 pairs ci coinvpleinentary slotsand'Yiv,edged therein to form a carrier surface, the carrying surface of each of said slats being convexed transversely.

5. A. carrier for conveyers of the class described, embodying a .frame formed with interior peripheral channels, wooden filler members adapted to be wedged in said channels, similarly and equally spaced slots in opposite liller members, and wooden slats each adapted to be sprung into complementary slots of opposite ller members and to be positioned and wedged therein to form an article-carrying surface.

6. A carrier for conveyers of the class 35 described, embodying a frame formed with interior peripheral channels, wooden filler members adapted to be wedged in and removed from said channels, slots in opposite filler members, and wooden slats each adapted to be sprung into complementary slots of opposite filler members and wedged therein to form an article-carrying surface, each of said slats being reduced in' width at their end portions and having rounded upper and lower edges.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 26th day of September, A. D. 1924.

l CHARLES B. LATENDORF. 

